Parallel Texts in Matthew, Mark & Luke

1. True Kin
Matt 12:46-50 // Mark 3:31-35 // Luke 8:19-21

  context     Greek synopsis     English synopsis     analysis     source hypotheses     variants 

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Greek Text

The reconstruction of the gospel texts below is based on the critical edition of E. Nestle's Novum Testamentum Graece presented with a fuller critical apparatus in Kurt Aland's Synopsis Quattuor Evangeliorum  ed. ii (Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1964) pp. 172-173.  The matched column format & color coding employed here is the original work of the author of this electronic edition.

Note: The accented Greek script used to compose this synopsis is SP Ionic.
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JESUS'  KIN
Matthew 12 Mark 3 Luke 8
46   1Eti  au)tou~  lalou~ntoj      19   Parege/neto
   toi=j  o!xloij,  31   Kai\      de\
   i0dou_    e1rxontai    pro\j au)to_n
   h(  mh&thr    h9  mh&thr  au0tou~    h9  mh&&thr
   kai\     kai\     kai\  
   oi9  a)delfoi\  au)tou    oi9  a)delfoi\  au)tou~,    oi9  a)delfoi\  au)tou~,
   ei9sth&keisan  e1cw~    kai\  e1cw~  sth&kontej    kai\
   zhtou~nte/j    a)pe/steilan     ou)k h)du&nanto
   au)tw|~      pro\j au)to_n    suntuxei=n au)tw|~  
   lalh~sai.    kalou~ntej  au)to&n.  
    32  kai\  e0ka&qhto    
       peri\  au)to\n    
     o1xloj,    dia_  to_n  o1xlon.
47** [ ei1pen  de\  tij      kai\  le/gousin  20  a0phgge/lh  de\  
   au)tw~| :     au)tw~| :    au0tw|~ :
   i0dou\    i0dou_  
   h(  mh&thr  sou    h(  mh&thr  sou    h(  mh&thr  sou
   kai\    kai\      kai\ 
   oi9  a)delfoi/  sou    oi9  a)delfoi/  sou    oi9  a)delfoi/  sou
    [ kai\~   
  ***  ai9  a)delfai\  sou ]  
   e1cw  e0sth&kasin    e1cw    e0sth&kasin e1cw  
   zhtou~nte/j  soi     zhtou~si/n  se.    i0dei=n  qe/lonte/j  se.
   lalh~sai. ]    
48  o(  de\  a)pokriqei\j   33  kai\  a)pokriqei\j   21  o(  de\  a)pokriqei\j 
   ei}pen      ei}pen 
     au)toi=j  le/gei :    pro_j au)tou&j :
   tw~|  le/gonti au)tw~| :      
   ti/j e0stin     ti/j e0stin     
   h(  mh&thr  mou~,    h(  mh&thr  mou~,  
   kai\ tine/j ei0si\n     kai\    
   oi9  a)delfoi/  mou~  ;    oi9  a)delfoi/ ;  
49  kai\  e0ktei/naj   34  kai\  peribleya&menoj  
   th_n  xei=ra au)tou)    tou_j  peri\  au)to_n    
   e0pi\ tou_j maqhta_j    ku&klw|  kaqhme/nouj  
   au)tou~    
   ei}pen :    le/gei :  
    i0dou_     i1de    
    h(  mh&thr  mou    h(  mh&thr  mou    mh&thr  mou
   kai\     kai\     kai\
    oi9  a)delfoi/  mou.     oi9  a)delfoi/  mou.    a)delfoi/  mou
50  o3stij  ga_r  an  35  o3j  an     ou[toi/ 
    poih&sh| *     poih&sh| *     ei0sin 
   to_  qe/lhma    to_  qe/lhma    oi9j  to_n  lo&gon 
   tou~  patro&j mou    tou~  qeou~ ,    tou~  qeou~ 
        a)kou&ontej
   tou~  e0n  ou)ranoi=j    
   au)to&j  mou a)delfo&j  .    ou[toj  a)delfo&j  mou.    
   kai\  a)delfh_,    kai\  a)delfh_,    
   kai\ mh&thr    kai\ mh&thr    
   e0stin .     e0stin .     kai\ poiou~ntej.*

** Note: Matt 12:47 is not in the two earliest codices (before 400 CE): Sinaiticus & Vaticanus. But it is found in most mss. after 400 CE. Which explanation of these facts is more plausible?

  • It was omitted by accident. Scribes copying a ms. in which the same words occurred a line or so apart sometimes omitted the words between them. Note that the ending of Matt 12:47 echoes the narrative in Matt 12:46. Or...

  • It was added by later scribes to bring Matthew in line with the other synoptic versions of this anecdote. Note parallels to Luke 8:20.

If Matt 12:47 was missing from later mss., a scribal lapse would be clear. But since it is lacking in both of the oldest mss., accidental omission is less likely. This verse was in the Diatesseron, a 2nd c. harmony of the four gospels. But there is no evidence for it in Greek mss. of Matthew before the 5th c. CE.

*** Note: This reference to Jesus' sisters in Mark 3:32 is found in the orthodox Byzantine recension and a few other 5th c. mss. (notably codex Alexandrinus and codex Bezae) but not in codices of the 4th c. CE (Sinaiticus & Vaticanus) or other mss. of the Egyptian recension. Which explanation of these facts is more plausible?

  • It was omitted by accident. Scribes copying a ms. might overlook the second of two phrases with similar wording.  In Greek the only difference between "brothers" (oi9  a)delfoi/) and "sisters" (ai9  a)delfai/) are in vowels that look similar (o and a).  Or...

  • It was inserted by some later scribe to account for the reference to "sister" (a)delfh_) in Jesus' climactic pronouncement (Mark 3:35).

If the phrase  kai\  ai9  a)delfai\  sou~  was missing from later mss., a scribal lapse would be clear. But since it is lacking in the oldest mss., accidental omission is less likely.  If this phrase was part of the original text at this point, it is odd that there is no mention of the presence of Jesus' sisters in any version of the narrative introduction to this scene or in Jesus' rhetorical question in Mark 3:34

 

Color Code
 Blue  Three gospels use same vocabulary.
 Teal  Two gospels use same vocabulary.
 Black   Words unique to a particular gospel.
*  Same word, different order.

 

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last revised 29 December 2005

 

 

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